Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort - Day-use fee or pay-per-soak in Nathrop, CO (2026)
A 105°F geothermal spring feeds infinity pools, creekside soaking pockets, and a family slide complex beneath the Collegiate Peaks. Guests can pair soaks with trail rides, yoga classes, and villa-style lodging.
Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort is the largest and most-developed hot-springs operation in Colorado's Upper Arkansas Valley — a sprawling complex 7 miles west of Buena Vista with infinity-edge upper pools (105°F), a creek-side splash zone where you can dig your own pool in the riverbank, family-oriented waterslides, and a separate adults-only Relaxation pool with a glass-walled view of the Collegiate Peaks. Day pass is $65 for the basic level, $95 for Relaxation Pass access to the spa pools. Lodging in cliff-edge villas and historic motel rooms. The Chalk Creek-side soaking — where 130°F vents bubble up through riverbed gravel and you mix it with cold creek flow by digging holes — is the unique feature no other Colorado resort offers.
What to expect
Reservations strongly recommended on weekends (book online). Multiple pool zones: the upper infinity pools and waterslides, the lower main pool, the Chalk Creek riverside dig-your-own pools (free with day pass — bring sandals), and the Relaxation Pass spa pools. Plan a full day. Restaurant on-site, plus the more upscale dining at the lodge. Buena Vista (15 minutes east) has dinner options. Winter visits require AWD on County Road 162 once snow accumulates.
Temperature
95°-107°F
Pools
8 soaking pools
Best season
Year-round
Reservations
Required
Dog policy
No pets at pools
Family policy
Family windows available
Safety notes
- Chalk Creek floods the lower rock pools during peak runoff—use the upper decks when flows are high.
- High-elevation weather shifts quickly; winter visitors should carry AWD and traction control on County Road 162.
Amenities & etiquette
FAQ
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Nearby hot springs
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Cottonwood Hot Springs
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Hand-built stone pools sit beside Cottonwood Creek, shaded by ponderosa pine and free of chemical additives. Rustic lodge rooms, creekside cabins, and tent sites make it an easy base for Monarch Pass ski days.
Dunton Hot Springs
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A restored 1880s ghost town now operates as an ultra-luxury hideaway with log cabins, chef-led dining, and cedar-lined bathhouse pools fed by a 104°F artesian spring. Winter heli-ski packages and summer fly-fishing fill out the all-inclusive itineraries.
Glenwood Hot Springs Resort
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America's largest mineral pool taps the Yampah spring and pairs a 405-foot lap pool with a therapy soak. Renovated locker rooms, on-site hotel rooms, and a splash zone make it easy to mix with skiing or rafting trips.
Editor’s picks nearby
- The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs — 25 mineral pools terraced down to the San Juan River, fed by the 1,000-foot-deep Mother Spring — $79 timed-entry day passes, the most refined of the major Colorado resorts.
- Strawberry Park Hot Springs — the Steamboat-area cult favorite — six stone-bordered pools tucked in aspen forest.
- Valley View Hot Springs — the clothing-optional San Luis Valley nature preserve — multiple pools and a sauna deep in the Sangre de Cristo foothills.